


Swept Under

by Galactic_Ink



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, M/M, No Porn, Romance, Violence, warrior/God AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26397580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galactic_Ink/pseuds/Galactic_Ink
Summary: Alfred is on a quest to find his lost love and as he journeys to a swamp that holds bad memories, he's faced with something he wasn't prepared for.
Relationships: America/Russia (Hetalia), RusAme - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Swept Under

**Swept Under**

🥀⚔🥀

The fog was as thick as the plant life in the swamp, but Alfred's will to push on was strong. He moved carefully through the soggy earth and crowding trees. He knew there was something in the forest, something lurking in the fog that could take his very life. A part of him wished to find it or for it to find him, but he knew he needed to stick to his mission for now. He would get his revenge soon enough, he had vowed on his love's life that he would.

Alfred tightened his fist on his sword as he remained resolute, but his newfound concentration was broken as the ground gave way. He slipped into the mud and tried to catch himself with a tree, but he tripped in his efforts and slid down the cliff until he smashed into a downed log and water. He grunted as he sat up, feeling the cool water soak his legs up to his knees and straightened his glasses. He looked around himself to find no one or thing around, and that he sat at the edge of a swamp. The fog hugged the water as Alfred sat there, obscuring anything that might be in it, but he didn't pay it no mind. He sighed deeply then turned to look behind him, seeing the cliff that he had slid down as well as his travel bag, helmet, and sword scattered about. He pulled himself up from the water, using the log as leverage and brushed off as much mud as he could before hobbling over to his sword first.

However, when he straightened up with his sword in hand he felt a presence. He slowly looked from his left to his right, finding nothing, then turned carefully to face the swamp. The fog had seemed to thin out over the water, uncovering a gaping cavern that the water seemed to feed into. Alfred stared at it and in a blink of an eye someone appeared. Alfred stepped back, going defensive, as he spotted a pale body rise from the water, nude and glowing. It had the shape of a human, a tall man by the looks of their strong back riddled with scars and short silver hair. Alfred squinted as the figure turned slightly, a glowing violet eye looking back at him.

"I assume you're here for the sword, much like the others?" the man said his voice deep and haunting, seeming to come from every direction.

Alfred felt his heart start to race as he heard this and took a step forward, his boots touching the water's edge. The man took notice and turned fully, showing off a strong chest and rounded jaw, violet eyes glowing bright and staring right into Alfred's wide blue eyes. The moment Alfred saw this man face to face a sense of familiarity hit him. This man looked so much like—

"I take that as a yes?" the man spoke again and Alfred snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm Alfred Jones of Ameri, and I've come to find the salruine sword, guarded by the god of this mountain, Vyrin." Alfred spoke truthfully.

"I am Vyrin," the man admitted and he seemed to grow taller at that moment. "I have guarded this sword for centuries ever since its destructive powers have been sealed in my swamp." Alfred swallowed thickly as he saw the man visibly grow taller, much taller than any human should, and a hole appeared in his chest. "If you wish to possess it," he continued, his eyes sinking into his head and his hair growing to fall in front of his face. His nails grew long, turning to claws and his teeth seemed to become as sharp as knives. "You must defeat me in battle, warrior."

Alfred tightened his grip on his sword as he saw the giant god Vyrin. His limbs long and spindly but covered in muscle.

"So be it!" Alfred shouted and lunged at the god.

Vyrin let out an otherworldly screech and swung his claws at Alfred. Alfred ducked just in time and heard the trees in the way of the claw shatter by the force of the hit. He took a deep breath and smiled as he popped back up and took aim with his sword. He slashed at Vyrin's left arm then plummeted into the water. He swam down seeing the long legs of the god disappear into the blackness of the swamp, but quickly saw something rising up from that darkness. It turned out to be the foot of the god and Alfred couldn't avoid it. The hit was imminent and it sent him flying out of the water and crashing onto the soggy earth. Alfred coughed harshly when he landed, all the air seeming to vanish from his lungs. He struggled to catch his breath or stand, which Vyrin took advantage of and grabbed Alfred.

"You want the salruine sword when you can't even stand against me?" the god barked, and Alfred grimaced as he was squeezed by the hand that held him.

"I will defeat you! I have to!" Alfred shouted back, making the god smirk in a way that made Alfred feel familiarity once again.

"You humans and your "have tos" and "will nots". It's all very boring. You humans disturb my realm, the heavens even, for your own gains." Vyrin squeezed Alfred again, making him grunt and whine.

"I will avenge my love!" Alfred shouted then kicked the back of his right boot to have a knife slide forth. It stabbed into the hand holding Alfred, making Vyrin wince and let go. "I must become stronger to avenge my love and to protect those in need." He continued as he rushed for his sword. "Now prepare to die by my hands, oh mighty god Vyrin!"

Alfred ran towards a tree overhanging the swamp and ran up its trunk. He kicked off, doing a backflip through the air and coming face to face with the haunting god. He held out his sword with the god's right eye as its target and for a fleeting moment there was something that flashed in those eyes. A look of fear, a look of worry, a look of longing, Alfred couldn't place it but he knew for a fact he had seen that look before. That he had _seen_ this god before, and he aimed his sword slightly lower—embedding it into the god's cheek and ripping it open only for his hand to swat at him. Alfred fell into the water, gasping as it rushed into his lungs, but his struggle was short-lived as he was grasped once again and thrust into a tree.

"No one's ever scarred my face. Perhaps you have some skill." The god commented as he crushed Alfred against the tree.

"Van…ya…!"

The god stopped crushing Alfred as he heard him gasp out the name. Vyrin looked around the swamp to see not even a frog in their presence. He furrowed his brow as he used his powers to reach out into the forest but couldn't sense another human close enough to be a threat.

"V-Vanya!" Alfred said louder, grabbing Vyrin's attention.

"Is this some sort of trick?" Vyrin asked, keeping his grip on Alfred but not as tight as before. "There is no one here other than you and I."

"No," Alfred rasped, "you—you are Vanya." Alfred watched the way Vyrin's eyes widened in confusion and anger. "The love that I thought I lost all those years ago."

"I… I'm not…" Vyrin said, feel uncertain yet certain of his own words. He felt like something was nagging at him, and he let go of Alfred as he touched the hole in his chest. He felt like something was in there, but when he reached inside the torn flesh all he felt was the muscle and veins that resided there.

"You are!" Alfred shouted from the forest floor, picking himself up and wincing as he steadied himself on an injured leg. "You look different but you have to be him! You have his eyes, his nose, and his voice!" Alfred pointed out, knowing now why he felt familiarity toward a god he had never seen. He stepped closer to the edge of the water and Vyrin looked down at him with contemplation. "He—you went missing during our quest from the Queen in this swamp. We got separated and I couldn't find anything other than your material possessions. It was as if your body had been plucked from the earth! I've been training to get stronger in hopes of rescuing you, or avenging you by killing the bastard that took you from me!"

Vyrin dug his fingers into the hole in his chest, causing fresh blood to yield from it. He was a god and yet this human claims things that can't possibly be true, and yet… and yet this feeling of something lost… "AAAAAHHHHH! This is nonsense human!" Vyrin shouted and slammed his hands down on the earth splashing mud and water. "I am the god and guardian of this mountain, of this swamp, I've been here for eons and—"

"Look at me!" Alfred yelled as he fixed his hair, wiped mud and blood from his face, and took off his gloves to show a gold wedding ring. "Don't you recognize me?" he asked, then dug into his pocket to pull out a matching ring and held it up. "Look at it! This was yours!" Alfred shouted. "Please, Vanya!"

Vyrin looked at the ring intensely, something about it made the nagging feeling persist. He felt not like himself as he faced the warrior before him and a larger part of him told him to put an end to it.

"I will hear no more!"

Vyrin snatched Alfred from where he stood and slammed him into the water. Alfred was quick to snatch his sword before he was grabbed, but he lost hold of it once he hit the water. Vyrin shrunk down in his size so he could use two hands to strangle Alfred under the water. Alfred thrashed about, struggling to pull the hands free but having no luck. He started to feel around on the swamp floor that tampered into the blackness and grabbed a rock. As much as he didn't want to hurt Vyrin, his Vanya, he needed to live. He stabbed the rock into the cut he had made previously on the god's left arm and succeeded in loosening his grip just enough for him to gain the upper hand. He jabbed the rock into the wound again then wiggled free and swam deeper into the swamp. He searched the blackness for his sword or the salruine sword, anything that he could use to fight the god. As he went further down he began to see a glow within the dark. He rushed for it and as he came upon it, he found it wasn't the sword, but a purple heart. It beat eerily in the water cradled by the roots of the trees, and Alfred instantly knew who it belonged to. He moved to reach for it, but something caught his leg.

He looked back to see Vyrin's hand around his leg and felt himself jerk back. Alfred opened his mouth out of surprise, instantly regretting the reflex as he lost air, and dug his fingers into the tree roots. He fought against Vyrin's pull and managed to pull the beating heart from where it rested by swiping at the water, then grabbed it with both hands. The second he did he found himself being pulled by Vyrin up to the surface. Alfred thrashed against him, making him stop and look back only to see the glowing heart in his arms. Vyrin wide-eyed at seeing it and yanked on Alfred's leg to force him to come closer. Alfred took that moment to shove the heart into Vyrin's chest. Vyrin let go of Alfred and wailed under the water, allowing Alfred to quickly make his escape. When he surfaced Vyrin was not far behind, but he was back to his gigantic size screeching and wailing as he clawed at the glowing heart in his chest. Alfred covered his ears as he watched the god struggle and cry until he managed to rip out the heart, but a part of it was still fused to his chest. The second it was out Vyrin went quiet, his violet eyes had turned white and Alfred witnessed the god fall into the swamp.

"Shit!" Alfred yelled as a wall of water gushed forth from the giant's fall. He tried to flee, but the wave caught him and slammed him forward. He managed to avoid getting hit by a tree, but as the wave died he was pulled back towards the god. He coughed up water that he swallowed then wiped at his glasses and eyes to see that the god was missing and the fog was once again thick.

"Vanya?" Alfred rasped, then coughed again. "Vanya!?"

Alfred felt tears sting his eyes as he realized what he had done. He had killed the god, killed his love all over again.

"No, no no no, Vanya! Vanya?!" Alfred screamed into the swamp and moved as fast as his aching body would allow to get into the water.

When he was waist deep the fog started to dissipate again and in the mouth of the cave sat Vyrin in humanoid form on top of the water. Alfred froze where he was and Vyrin took notice of him. He faced Alfred, and Alfred could see that the hole in Vyrin's chest was smaller than before, the piece of heart that remained had fused completely with him.

"Va—"

"Alfred?" he spoke, his voice still deep and coming from every direction.

"Yes, yes!" Alfred cheered and started to move forward. "Van—!"

"No," Vyrin said, making Alfred stop. "I… I remember but not fully. I'm the god of this mountain now, but when you put that heart into me, I recalled a few things…. I _used_ to be Ivan, we _used_ to be lovers. That day we came here, the old god was dying from a battle with other warriors, and he had separated me from you. I became him, and he is me. I…" Ivan trailed off as tears began to spill from his eyes. He touched his face to see the water on his fingers then looked at Alfred. Alfred stood in the water with tears running down his face as well, and the sight made Ivan's tears grow heavy. "I'm not your Vanya anymore."

"You can be! Please!" Alfred pleaded pushing off the bottom of the swamp and swimming to Ivan.

"I can no longer live amongst humans, to leave this mountain means death, just as if my heart had been restored." Ivan said as he touched his chest.

"I can find a way! I'm sure there is someone out there that can help you! That can bring you back to me!" Alfred shouted, his voice cracking. "Please let me try!"

Ivan sighed and shook his head. "There is no point, besides I must rest now. The damage to the heart won't allow me to stay conscious for much longer."

"But, I… I still love you." Alfred confessed, fresh tears coming to his eyes. "I've been looking for so long…"

Ivan looked at Alfred with indifference, but then his eyes held sorrow. He reached for Alfred in the water and used what energy he could to make him sit upon the water like he was. He reached his hands out to hold Alfred's face and rubbed his thumb into his cheek before leaning in to give a gentle kiss.

"You must move on." Ivan advised once he broke the kiss. "My fate is sealed, but yours is still free."

"I don't want to leave you." Alfred said holding onto Ivan's hands tightly. "You're my only."

"Alfred—"

"Make me a god!" Alfred interjected. "Let me stay here with you! Please! I can't be without you again knowing you're here! Knowing you're alive!"

"I can't make you a god." Ivan said simply as he looked at their joined hands.

"Then I'll live here! I'll build a cabin right here!" Alfred persisted.

Ivan squeezed Alfred's hands back, sending a wave of calm into him and making him fall silent. Ivan looked him in the eyes to see him looking relaxed but still desperate.

"If, in five years, life returns to this mountain, you may enter. I… I feel something for you as well. I don't wish to trap you."

"I'll be here." Alfred said without hesitation. "In five years, I'll be here."

Ivan nodded his head in agreement, but Alfred took it a step further and sealed their deal with a kiss. It was rougher than before, needier, but it didn't last long because Ivan started to grow again. The energy he used to keep himself humanoid was fading, the need for rest out weighing everything else.

"Five years," Ivan repeated, a tired look coming to his features. "Now go, before you become trapped here. I don't have much energy." Alfred nodded in understanding but he fell through the water just as Ivan did. Ivan grew back into his god state, then reached into the water to pluck Alfred from it and set him on the edge of the swamp. Alfred stared at him for a moment, not wanting to part with his love after finally finding him.

"Oh, and Alfred," Ivan called out, making Alfred focus. "You were after this, correct?" he asked as he pulled his hand from the water and held out the salruine sword. "I can trust you will wield it with fairness and truth. Now go, there's not much time."

"Thank you, and I will return!" Alfred shouted and quickly gathered what belongings he could find before taking off.

**.-Five years later-.**

"Excuse me, but have I reached Vyrintany?"

The villager that had been posed with the question nodded and the traveler smiled and looked over to the mountains to the east. The evening sun was shining bright and the traveler was excited to know he was right on time.

"Say, will this path take me straight to the mountain?" he asked the villager again, holding out his map to them.

"Yes, it will, but it's best to wait till morning. The god of the mountain becomes restless at night." The villager informed and the traveler just continued to smile and fold up his map once more.

"Not to worry, I'm expected." He said happily and started to set off, but the villager called out to him.

"What is your name stranger, for when someone comes to look for your corpse?"

"Matthew Williams of Cann," the traveler said happily and continued on his way.

Matthew followed his map diligently as he made his way to the mountain and just as the sun was about to set he spotted a deer on his path into the mountains. It was massive with several antlers sprouting from its head. It bowed to him then headed forward only to stop and look back. Matthew instantly knew that he needed to follow and lit a lantern before following after the large animal. It took some time, but as the sun set Matthew found himself passing through a thick fog that faded out into a swamp. The deer was nowhere to be seen but a modest cabin sat near the water and warm light was pouring from its windows. Matthew quickly made his way to the cabin and knocked on the door.

"Alfred, it's your dear brother! I've come to visit as promised!"

* * *

*****So, I've been coming up with new ideas a lot lately since I've been exercising. I guess being outside sweating is all I needed to get the juices flowing lol THOUGH IT DOESN'T HELP WHEN I HAVE FICS THAT I NEED TO FUCKIN FINISH AND HAVE THE OUTLINES READY TO GO BUT I RATHER WRITE NEW SHIT :D Anywho, thanks for reading and comments welcomed!**


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